Three points against a team even lower than the Rams in the league were absolutely essential if the progress in performance, albeit slow and patchy, over the last few games was to be taken as a credible sign of a steady climb up the league towards the play-off positions.

This was a much improved performance from Tuesday's offering - although so dire was that effort anything close a firm tackle and well placed pass would have represented a technological leap forward on a scale that led from the Montgolfier brothers to Tom Hanks in Apollo 13.

Ramsbottom United joint manager Mark Fell spoke to the website following the disappointing 0-4 Bank Holiday league loss to Clitheroe. Mark speaks out over the performance and offers some comfort with news of new signings on the horizon.

There has never been much doubt that the Rams have some very talented young footballers - unfortunately they have been too many in number, inexperienced and physically slight to compete or survive in the NPL. On Saturday though they came up against another team which if anything was even younger and more lightweight and dominated the game from first to last. As one of the long suffering Rams faithful commented after the match, it was boys against boys and the game was no worse off for that.

The feral growl of triumph that emenated from the throat of each Rams player at the final whistle followed by the sound celebratory banging of the changing room walls spoke eloquently of how much this win meant after a few trying weeks.

This was a dispiriting performance from the Rams which could easily have resulted in a double score defeat except for some brave and at times inspired saves by Jack Cookson and profligate finishing by the home team.

Managerless following the resignation of Garry Vaughan earlier in the day, the Rams at last brought a halt to the long line of scoreless defeats with an, at best, creditable draw against fellow relegatees Colwyn Bay.

If pure undiluted effort was the sole determinant of a game of football - and the exhaustion on the faces of their players was evidence enough that it had been given - then the Rams would have come away from Glossop with a well earned point.

The 2015/2016 season really cannot come soon enough for a beleaguered Ramsbottom United, who suffered defeat once again, this time to a Marine side who ensured they would not be joining the Rams with that sinking feeling this term.

The Rams pretty much coninued where they left off against Lancaster in their previous midweek game with a performance that offered scant prospects for a successful campaign and might have left them singing "We don't like Tuesdays" in the post match showers.

Nine day previously, two early goals down at Matlock had confirmed the Rams relegation. A repeat dose in east Lancashire merely emphasised the gulf between an average Premier Division outfit and the struggling homesters, who once again found themselves 2-0 down after just twelve minutes.